Talk:Korea
HistoryEdit http://images.wikia.com/modernity/images/2/2e/Taegukgi.pngThe Joseon (or also Choson) Dynasty was formed at the end of the 14th century. Confucianism became the state ideology and exerted a massive influence over the whole of society. The Joseon Dynasty produced Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, which was invented in 1443, during the reign of King Sejong. The dynasty's power declined later because of foreign invasions, beginning with the Japanese invasion of 1592. In 1876, the Joseon Dynasty was forced to adopt an open-door policy regarding Japan. The Japanese annexation of Korea concluded in 1910, and Korean people had to suffer under Japanese colonial rule until the dismantling of the same after the Pacific War after 1945. Birth of an EmpireEdit Prior to the 10th century AD, the Korean peninsula was home to a triumvirate of petty kingdoms which feuded with one another. The Goryeo dynasty managed to unite the kingdoms under one single ruler, and would last well until the rise of the Mongol khans. Although Korea managed to re-assert its independence from the Mongols by the 14th century, the nation was now tottering on the brink of anarchy. A palace coup led by a Goryeo general, Yi-Seonggye, exiled the king and eliminated his retainers. General Yi would assume the throne himself as Taejo of Joseon. Taejo's reign, however, did not usher in peace to Korea instantly. Soon after the founding of Seoul as the capital in 1394, doubts related to succession to the throne even while Taejo was still alive would result in a series of court intrigues and rivalries would result in what was known as the First Strife of Princes. The first kings of Jeoson therefore had their work cut out for them and it was not until the reign of Sejong in the early 15th century AD that Great Jeoson could then be considered as stable. Sejong the Great was one of the grandchildren of King Taejo, and it was under his rule that Korea would experience a golden age. His reign (1418AD-1450AD) saw many improvements in science, technology and culture. Among the many achievements of Sejong was successful expeditions against the wako raiders who were causing trouble on the coast, the modernisation of the military with all-new firearms, and the creation of a school of literati. Yet, Sejong's greatest contribution to Korean society would be the writing system that would be known today as Hangul used to transliterate the Korean language. Despite these impressive achievements, Sejong was doomed. His son, Munjong, was sickly and passed away merely 2 years after having succeeded his father. The death of Munjong would once again plague Korea with court intrigue and instability, until the reign of king Seongjong. Under Seongjong, the contributions of Sejong and his successors would eventually unleash a new period of cultural development in the spheres of literature and law, along with the ascendancy of Confucianism as the state ideology. Barbarians at the GatesEdit The 17th and 19th centuries AD were extremely unlucky periods for the Korean people. Beginning with the Imjin War, Great Joseon was successively battered by the Japanese, Chinese, the French and the Americans. Isolationism could not save the nation, and even exacerbated problems. Awash with social problems and threats of foreign invasion, the Jeoson court spearheaded several reform initiatives in order to resolve conflicts and modernise the country's technological strengths, such as the admission of lower-born subjects into court as officials - hitherto the privillege of the aristocracy. These, however, could not save Korea. Clashes with French and American expeditionary forces in the late 19th century revealed just how weak and ineffectual the Korean state was. Despite this, Korea's biggest threat would not come from Europe or America, but from an Asian neighbour: Japan. Forced by Western powers into the modern era, Japan quickly modernised and even developed imperialistic ambitions of its own. : ...Slightly pale and quite thin, with somewhat sharp features and brilliant piercing eyes, she did not strike me at first sight as being beautiful, but no one could help reading force, intellect and strength of character in that face... - American observer, on Queen Min of Korea In 1867 AD the Tokugawa government fell and Imperial power was restored under Emperor Meiji. This period ushered in the Meiji restoration and the modernisation of Japan. The caste system was abolished, and a democratic government was established but served under the Emperor. Having pursued economic, military and educational reforms to close the gap between Japan and western nations, Japan's appetite for conquest was whetted and so Japan again turned its attention on to the mainland. The Korean king, Gojong, was ineffectual, but wedded to an extraordinary lady, Myeongseong, styled Queen Min. Queen Min was a gifted and courageous consort who realised that Korea's fate rested on two lynchpins: modernisation of the nation, and keeping the three great powers - Russia, Japan and China - at bay. Culture was imported wholesale, and the army was reformed along American and Russian models. Like the Pahlavids of Iran half a century later, however, Queen Min's reforms would backfire - they resulted in mutinies and civil unrest incited by the more xenophobic factions of Korean society, and would also exacerbate tensions between Korea and an increasingly suspicious Japan. Queen Min was subsequently assassinated, and the royal family forced to sign a treaty of annexation in 1910, rendering Korea effectively as an outpost of the Empire of Japan.